The Victorian Period (1832-1901) and its Literature
The Victorian Period took place during Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901) over Britain, the most powerful nation in the world at this time. Victorian societies are notorious for their excessively rigid code of ethics.
Majors Ideas
Confidence in society in the beginning of this era; drastic social reform towards the end
A woman's place was in the home
Glorification of imperialism
Industrialism
Economic success
Crime
human trafficking of teenagers
child labor
Limited class mobility
middle class rises when reform takes place
Large schism between social classes
Increase in universal education
Reading Material and literacy
Major Authors
Lewis Caroll
Alice in Wonderland
Through the Looking-Glass
Charles Dickens
Great Expectations
Oliver Twist
A Tale of Two Cities
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes
Rudyard Kipling
The White Man's Burden
The Jungle Book
H.G. Wells
The Time Machine
Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Grey
Emily Bronte
Wuthering Heights
Charles Darwin
Karl Marx
Bronte Sisters
Yeats
Tennyson
Browning
Matthew Arnold
He bridges Victorian and modernist poetry
SONNET #43, FROM THE PORTUGUESE By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints!---I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!---and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.
Browning forges the voice of an emotionally invested lover with her use of repetition, parallelism, polysyndeton, and evocative imagery. Browning's speaker makes sure that the object of his or her affection understands that, regardless of whatever trials he or she may experience, the love for the recipient of the sonnet will not ebb or dwindle. away. Parallelism in "Sonnet #43" shows the speaker's love, like a man humbly working in adherence with his moral principles, is a righteous endeavor and he or she treats it as such. The speaker utilizes polsyndeton for the sonnet's recipient to slow down, reflect, and absorb the extent of the love that he/she/it receives from the speaker. The speakers tone of absolute devotion, in conjunction with abstract metaphors, creates imagery of being; it is as if the speaker's affinity transcends enamorment and borders on idol worship.
SONNET #43, FROM THE PORTUGUESE
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints!---I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!---and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Browning forges the voice of an emotionally invested lover with her use of repetition, parallelism, polysyndeton, and evocative imagery. Browning's speaker makes sure that the object of his or her affection understands that, regardless of whatever trials he or she may experience, the love for the recipient of the sonnet will not ebb or dwindle. away. Parallelism in "Sonnet #43" shows the speaker's love, like a man humbly working in adherence with his moral principles, is a righteous endeavor and he or she treats it as such. The speaker utilizes polsyndeton for the sonnet's recipient to slow down, reflect, and absorb the extent of the love that he/she/it receives from the speaker. The speakers tone of absolute devotion, in conjunction with abstract metaphors, creates imagery of being; it is as if the speaker's affinity transcends enamorment and borders on idol worship.